rental villa

The Green Parrot

If this bar/restaurant were smack on a sandy beach it would not be out of place.  It is a classic beach bar with a laid back island feel.  Prior to the building of the new upscale marina the Green Parrot East (on the Nassau side, there’s another Green Parrot on the Paradise Island side) sat directly on the bay overlooking Atlantis directly in front of you and the cruise ship port and downtown on your left.  They had a rickety old dock that used to serve as the landing point for all of the dinghies for the moored boats.  The boaters would stop for a quick drink and then move on to Harbour Bay to do their shopping.  Mark and I loved that dock and had a habit of carrying our wine out to the edge and dangling our feet into the water to watch the sunset.  Alas, progress happens.  Not only did the addition of the upscale marina place a promenade and a bunch of boats in front of the view but they also put in a pool where there used to be an inlet and sandy beach where Emily spent hours playing with the children of friends while we chowed down on burgers, quesadillas and classic Bahamian dishes.  However, The Green Parrot still has massive appeal and we still love it there - most people probably prefer the new “cleaned up” surroundings.

This is the place to come if you want affordable food and drink not too far from Water’s Edge (the house and the actual edge of the water).  The view is still lovely and you get the added bonus of being outside enjoying the Bahamian breezes.  The food is classic pub food with a Bahamian twist.  I enjoy the Caeser salad with grilled mahi-mahi, Emily loves the wide array of quesadillas, Mark is always game for a nice fat juicy burger (and they have sweet potato fries to die for).  Earlier in the evening tends to attract families with a good mix of local and tourist trade, later in the evening it is definitely more of a party place with live music every weekend and a fresh conch salad stand right on the waterfront.  Be prepared for island patience around service and remember to breathe and enjoy the view.

Green Parrot owns multiple properties throughout Nassau, the newest being the chain restaurant (with a definite Bahamian twist), Margaritaville over on Paradise Island.  

Harbourfront Cafe

This cosy cafe space sits right next to the Green Parrot and is part of the Harbourfront bar/restaurant.  It has recently opened and quickly become our “go-to” breakfast place.  There aren’t many places where you can enjoy breakfast during the week so we were thrilled to discover that the breakfasts here are really good.  The servings are huge and would definitely set you up for the day if you are late getting started.  The service is great, the people are lovely and they have super-fast wifi.  If you have someone in your party who wants to get away to get a little work done (and we sincerely hope that you don’t!) this would be a great place to come.  They also have great coffee, fruit smoothies and lunch specials that look delicious.  If you have any plant-based people in your party I have found that there is always something available that looks delicious - chickpea salads and vegan wraps are staples on the menu.

Remember they are only open from 8am - 3pm from Tuesday through Saturday.  We know this but have still eagerly arrived on a Monday and been disappointed.